Is there a D.C. whisper campaign against Marco Rubio?

posted at 4:57 pm on March 26, 2012 by Allahpundit

There sure is, says Marc Thiessen. Matt Lewis made the same point more than a month ago, noting that that unbelievably shoddy Reuters hit piece in January wasn’t the only story questioning Rubio’s past to bubble up in the national media lately. Go figure that Democrats would be anxious to torpedo “the conservative Obama” before he lands on the ticket and becomes a mortal threat in 2016 or 2020.

In the Headlines thread on Thiessen’s piece, Steven Den Beste comments, “God knows, we wouldn’t want to have anybody in the Executive branch who hadn’t been fully vetted by the press!”

In recent months, a whispering campaign has spread in Washington suggesting that Rubio may look good on paper, but he cannot “pass vet” for the vice presidential nomination. The whispers became more audible last October following a hit piece by Washington Post reporter Manuel Roig-Franzia, who accused Rubio of deliberately “embellishing” his family history by saying that his parents arrived in the United States after Castro took power when they, in fact, arrived during the Batista years. (I pointed out at the time that the story offered zero evidence that Rubio intentionally misled anyone).

Then in February came the revelation that when Rubio was 8 years old and living in Las Vegas, his family was baptized into the Church of Latter-day Saints and attended a Mormon church for a few years before returning to Catholicism. Rubio’s detractors pounced, ridiculously arguing that this disqualifies him from serving as Romney’s running mate, because conservatives would never accept an “all Mormon ticket.”…

The Great Whisperer has used these stories to plant seeds of doubt about Rubio: How well do we really know this guy? What else is there in his record? Indeed, the whispers are making their way into the mainstream commentary. Even in ranking Rubio first on his vice presidential list, The Post’s Chris Cillizza writes, “We hear whispers that his time in the state legislature could be mined by a good opposition researcher.” And this month, the National Journal downgraded Rubio’s position on its vice presidential power rankings because, it claimed, Rubio “skated into office without much of his past being vetted in the media. That would change in a hurry if he’s tapped for the vice presidency, and coming four years after Sarah Palin had such trouble adjusting to harsh scrutiny, that’s a very real concern for some Republicans. After all, Tallahassee has its own secrets.” (Miami Herald political reporter Marc Caputo vigorously disputes the suggestion that Rubio was elected without proper scrutiny by the Florida press corps.)

Roig-Franzia, the WaPo reporter who broke the story about Rubio’s family, has a biography of him coming out in June that’s bound to be brimming with Democratic oppo research. As Thiessen notes, that’s one reason Rubio’s rushing out his own book — to beat his enemies to the punch in defining his image. But it’s not the only reason: Read this timely Tampa Bay Times piece noting that a lot of the moves Rubio’s made lately, including hiring his own oppo research team to make sure there are no skeletons in his closet that he’s unaware of, look like the maneuverings of a guy who’s preparing to join a national ticket. Two questions, though. If the economy grows the next two months and unemployment drops, would Rubio want to be on a ticket that suddenly looks like it’s a longshot against The One? He’s a polished speaker and has spent more than a year in the Senate getting up to speed on national policy, so he’d acquit himself well on the trail regardless. Even in a losing effort, the increased national exposure would make him a top-tier candidate for 2016. But there is a stigma in losing, and that stigma would be significant if Romney/Rubio ended up underperforming among the Latino voters whom Rubio’s supposed to deliver. He’s going to be a top-tier candidate in 2016 whether he’s on the ticket or not. Why take the risk in joining it?

Two: Are we sure it’s Democrats and liberals who are exclusively to blame for the whispering? There are a lot of young, ambitious Republican governors and legislators out there eyeing this guy as a huge obstacle to the nomination for them down the road. In fact, arguably it’s his Republican rivals, not the Democrats, who have the most to gain by dropping oppo on him now. If the Dems have something big in the pipe, they’re better off letting Romney put him on the ticket and then feeding it to the media. For Republicans, though, the time to derail Rubio is before he joins the ticket and instantly becomes a presidential-level star. That’s not to say the left isn’t responsible for some or most of the hit pieces appearing in the media food chain, but I’d be surprised if they’re responsible for all of it.

Blowback

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Washington Post reporter Manuel Roig-Franzia, who accused Rubio of deliberately “embellishing” his family history by saying that his parents arrived in the United States after Castro took power when they, in fact, arrived during the Batista years.

This is ridiculous. Everyone knows his parents met at Selma five years after he was born.

First, he’s for amnesty. Second, there is that whole natural born citizen thing. Third, picking candidates because they are the right sex or color is getting disgusting. I would hope we would have learned better from our experience with the one.

Even in a losing effort, the increased national exposure would make him a top-tier candidate for 2016. But there is a stigma in losing, and that stigma would be significant if Romney/Rubio ended up underperforming among the Latino voters whom Rubio’s supposed to deliver. He’s going to be a top-tier candidate in 2016 whether he’s on the ticket or not. Why take the risk in joining it?

Better to be on the losing ticket(although it won’t lose, IMO) and get the national exposure that’ll make him the frontrunner in 2016. It’s not like Rubio’s the only guy sitting on the bench waiting to be called into the game in 4 years. The GOP has plenty of promising up-and-comers like Rand Paul, Allen West, Susana Martinez, Bob McDonnell, Chris Christie, Scott Walker, and Bobby Jindal. And many of them will offer executive experience that Rubio lacks.

Rubio will need an edge over the rest of that field, and considering Jindal, West, and Martinez all negate the identity politics advantage, having his national profile raised by being a Vice Presidential candidate would be the best way to elevate his stature for 2016 or beyond.

First, he’s for amnesty. Second, there is that whole natural born citizen thing. Third, picking candidates because they are the right sex or color is getting disgusting. I would hope we would have learned better from our experience with the one.

aniptofar on March 26, 2012 at 5:05 PM

Assuming that the natural born citizen clause disqualifies Rubio or Obama (which I don’t believe it does) it would disqualify Romney and Santorum as well. Santorum’s father was born in Italy, Romney’s born in Mexico. But people don’t talk about Romney’s or Santorum’s eligibility, and I can only think of one reason why.

Sorry, but I’m just too cynical to swallow this sort of thing anymore. “Whispering campaign”? If anyone considered Rubio a threat, they’d go after him like Godzilla just as they did with Palin. I suspect a little bit of stagecraft here to burnish Rubio’s “outsider, not part of Washington” bona fides.

Two: Are we sure it’s Democrats and liberals who are exclusively to blame for the whispering? There are a lot of young, ambitious Republican governors and legislators out there eyeing this guy as a huge obstacle to the nomination for them down the road.

It’s all politics. None of them can be trusted when ambition is driving the train, regardless of party. Rats in a box.

If this is what they have (both of which concern choices made by his parents when he was 8 and before he was born) he must be the cleanest, bestest, brightest, most wonderfulest man ever to serve in the US Senate.

That would change in a hurry if he’s tapped for the vice presidency, and coming four years after Sarah Palin had such trouble adjusting to harsh scrutiny

Sarah Palin had trouble adjusting to harsh scrutiny ?
Really ?
When did that happen ?
When Obama’s jourNOlists wanted to probe her uterus ?
Or when Obama wanted to to probe Bristol’s uterus ?
Is that what they call ” harsh scrutiny”
since she did not have a sealed divorce records which the jockitchObama could exploit against her ?

The whispers became more audible last October following a hit piece by Washington Post reporter Manuel Roig-Franzia, who accused Rubio of deliberately “embellishing” his family history by saying that his parents arrived in the United States after Castro took power when they, in fact, arrived during the Batista years.

Since Marco Rubio was born in 1971, the only things he would know about the pre-Castro or early Castro years would be what he heard from older family members, including his parents. How can he be blamed for not knowing everything that happened before he was born?

Besides, if Rubio’s parents arrived during the Batista years (pre-1959), they had been living in the United States at least 12 years before Marco Rubio was born, which would shoot holes in the “not natural-born” argument. Both of Rubio’s parents were in the United States far longer than our current President’s father had been at the time of their respective birth!

And this month, the National Journal downgraded Rubio’s position on its vice presidential power rankings because, it claimed, Rubio “skated into office without much of his past being vetted in the media.

Skated into office? Beating a sitting Governor (Charlie Crist) by over a million votes? And the media in the fourth most populous state in the Union never got around to vetting Rubio?

Rubio, like Obama is not a natural born citizen. If republicans so disrespect the Constitution then they are no better than democrats. Rubio also was big on helping the Libyan “rebels” proving he, like Obama and McCain, is unfit in foreign policy.

In politics, it is not safe to assume that just because someone has made it to a certain level that all is OK. No, I am not saying that Rubio has secrets, but I am saying that there are those who reach the level of Senator who have plenty to hide, so the idea that he is OK just because he has made it that far isn’t 100%. It is a good sign, but nowhere near definite. Hopefully, Team Romney will do a thorough job of vetting.

I still think Jindal is the best choice. Rubio’s biggest problem is that his thin record will so easily play into the left’s smear of the right pandering to minorities. Minorities with significant backgrounds like Rice or Jindal don’t have that problem. Sure, the Left will try to smear any minority we pick, but independents are unlikely to believe when the person has a solid background. That is not the case (yet) with Rubio.

That would change in a hurry if he’s tapped for the vice presidency, and coming four years after Sarah Palin had such trouble adjusting to harsh scrutiny, that’s a very real concern for some Republicans.

First, he’s for amnesty. Second, there is that whole natural born citizen thing. Third, picking candidates because they are the right sex or color is getting disgusting. I would hope we would have learned better from our experience with the one.

aniptofar on March 26, 2012 at 5:05 PM

That ‘natural born citizen thing’ is infuriating. Suddenly, every Tom, Dick, and Harry with Internet access suddenly deems themselves Constitutional experts, touts their bona fides as ‘Constitutionalists’ and then proceeds to hold forth on the nuances and vagaries of law as it pertains to qualifications for high office. Let’s keep it simple.

Refer to subclause (a), please:

8 U.S.C. § 1401
“The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:
(a) a person born in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof;…”

Now please shut up about that ‘natural born citizen’ nonsense. It’s embarrassing. If you don’t like Rubio, then don’t like him, but stop acting as if you know what you’re talking about.

This is pretty funny because the liberals have been using the same playbook for years. If you ain’t on the plantation, they try to take you down and it’s generally not pretty. Their big problem is Hispanics aren’t African-Americans and they might not take kindly to people trying to, unfairly, try to take down one of their own.

Democrats know they own blacks and they can get away with most anything and not be called on it. Hispanics have seen this, over the years, and do not want to be put in the same position.

I’m actually looking forward to the press and the Democrats playing with Rubio. I don’t believe he wants to be the VP, but if he does, he’ll be in a position to defend himself and he’s articulate enough to do it. It’s interesting that he hired an opposition researcher to investigate himself, I hope he was a good one because, if he was, the Democrats night have egg on their face.

KeninCT on March 26, 2012 at 5:01 PM
Del Dolemonte on March 26, 2012 at 5:10 PM

…KeninC_ _T does not have a website…just pictures on telephone poles…I don’t think KenenC_ _T has ever received ANY regular emails. All he does is get junk mail and nothing else!
I think he spends all his time emailing back people about ‘enlargement pills’…and African bank accounts,and Executor’s of Estates!
UPS keeps dropping off packages to his basement… with wigs, a lot of vinyl, soft soap… and bike pumps!

On the bright side Rubio will help pass Amnesty which will doom the republican party for ever.

Hispanics in their nature tend to be leftists.
Take a look at south American, there are no such thing as a conservative over there

liberal4life on March 26, 2012 at 5:43 PM

As the spouse of a Hispanic with a large Hispanic family, you, sir/ma’am, are a moron. Many of my in-laws despise Obama. They see him for the narcissist he is (and did from the beginning). The make jokes about him regularly. You have no idea what your are talking about. None.

Three and a half years ago, this country put a guy into office who practiced, or practices, black liberation theology. So suddenly, Americans would have a problem with Mormons?? Every day you prove your worth as the undisputed HA village idiot.